S is for the Stanley Cup: A Hockey Championship Alphabet

By: Mike Ulmer
Illustrated by: Chris Lyons
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Publication Date: August 2017
ISBN: 978-1585369720 
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: October 18, 2017

There are alphabet books for animal lovers, truck lovers, hide and seek fans, and even books that present the alphabet via fruit. Now there's finally an alphabet book for hockey fans and youngsters who love to hit the puck will definitely enjoy this book.

When I first heard about S is for the Stanley Cup, I wondered how the author managed to use all the letters in the alphabet with hockey "things." I'm happy to report that he did get all 26 letters in there, and he did it while keeping true to the history of the Stanley Cup.

Each letter has its own page, with the "X is for..." written in simple rhyme, and highlighting an event from the Cup's history. There are several letters dedicated to people who have been involved with the game, from players to famous supporters:

S is for Stanley
It seemed unimportant; he was just being nice
in creating a prize for these wild boys on ice.
He donated the trophy that carries his name
but he never did witness a Stanley Cup game.

The author also makes use of players, teams, events, and "things" such as, of course, the zamboni, for various letters. And that zamboni? You're not going to read about a generic machine, but a famous parade. Any guess what parade that might be?

Along with the brief poems for each letter, each page also has a sidebar with further information on that topic. From answering how many "Cups" there are to discussing favorite teams, these sidebars provide lots of useful information. There is more text here than some alphabet books meant for really young readers, so youngsters may need a bit of help, particularly with the sidebars. Regardless, even the biggest hockey fans just might learn a thing or two from all the information. The illustrations work very well, adding a touch of realism to each page. At the back of the book is a "Complete List of Stanley Cup Winning Teams" that young hockey fans will likely devour.

Quill says: A fun book for the diehard hockey fan, a great way to learn the alphabet.